Riga Latvia
is "effectively" a modern, progressive and
prosperous "city state" much like Singapore. Riga offers the
visitor the best of it's historic past as well as the charm of an
European Capital city. A visit to Riga must include the Art Nouveau
lined streets as well as the historic medieval Old City objects and
the intrigue of the Occupation museums' research on the horrors of the
occupation by the Soviets and Nazi Germany. Also, one lesser known
fact is that Riga Latvia is The Home
of the First Christmas Tree®
- Visit that
location just outside of the House of Blackheads in the old city near
the Daugava river. --
map link --

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Outside of Riga, be
prepared to step back into history as the infrastructure in most
parts is not yet developed as that in Riga. Be patient and
understanding and you will have a remarkable experience.-- more

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Riga
Latvia was a major center of the Hanseatic League and prospered from its trade with central and eastern Europe in the
13th-15th centuries. The urban fabric of its medieval center reflects this prosperity, although most of its earlier
buildings have been destroyed by fire and war. In the 19th century it became a very important economic center,
and the suburbs of the medieval town were built, first in imposing wooden buildings in classical style and then
in Jugendstil. It is generally recognized that Riga Latvia contains the finest concentration of Art Nouveau
buildings in Europe.